Watercraft with a protective device against shaped/hollow charges

ABSTRACT

A watercraft includes a support structure and a protected space, object or the like within an outer shell of the support structure. To protect the space, object, or the like, for example, a sensitive subassembly in the watercraft, against threats posed by shaped charges, a protective device is positioned between the outer shell and the sensitive subassembly. The protective device includes a multitude of reactive protective elements arranged in a flexible support construction oriented at an angle to the direction of threat. And the support construction is connected, such as, with positive locking and/or friction locking and/or with substance-to-substance bond, to the support structure of the watercraft.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority and incorporates by reference in its entirety German Patent Application No. DE 10 2007 022 767.3 filed May 15, 2007.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a watercraft with protection against shaped/hollow charges.

BACKGROUND

There are various spaces on board of watercrafts, in particular military watercrafts that have to be specifically protected against threats. In particular, this concerns sensitive subassemblies that ensure the operational reliability of the watercraft, such as ammunition magazines, power supply, electronics and the like. Such areas are commonly provided with walls made from armor steel. Depending on the construction and design of these armor steel walls, this protection is sufficient, for example, to protect against small bore projectiles and, in conjunction with the forward located hull planking, even against threats posed by kinetic energy projectiles.

Recently, it has been demonstrated that watercrafts or their sensitive subassemblies have to be protected against threats posed by shaped charges to an increasing extent as well, for missiles with shaped charges can also be directed against military watercrafts from speedboats and the like from short distances away.

Two basic types of protective devices, passive and reactive systems, are traditionally used against threats posed by shaped charges. Traditional passive systems have the disadvantage that they would require an overly high total weight and space to provide sufficient protection, which would be a disadvantage especially for applications in watercrafts.

An effective reactive system to protect against threats posed by shaped charges was described in detail, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2006/0162539 known under the name of ERICA®. The ERICA® system is a highly effective reactive protective device having a low mass and having at least two pyrotechnic layers which are arranged opposite of the direction of threat in a tilted manner and on a support having a relatively low mass. The reactive protective device prevents the formation of ballistically effective fragments. As the protective surface of a reactive protective device is in a state of dynamic balance during the entire time of action, its protective effect is achieved solely by the free explosive areas by a highly efficient beam interference of a shaped charge with a maximum symmetrical interference speed. The attachment of a reactive protection system in watercrafts was previously not known. Moreover, the protective device, passive and/or reactive, should not reveal the precise location of a sensitive subassembly in the interior of a military watercraft by being easily visible to the external observer.

SUMMARY

Watercraft and various reactive protective systems for a water craft against shaped/hollow charges have been developed in response to the current state of the art, and in particular, in response to these and other problems, needs, and demands that have not been fully or completely solved by currently available protection systems. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure are based on the problem of providing an effective protective device for water crafts to protect against threats posed by shaped charges, with said device overcoming the above-mentioned disadvantages of existing protective devices for water craft, while maintaining the advantages of previously described reactive systems.

A watercraft is configured to protect an item within an outer shell of a support structure. A protective device is positioned between the outer shell and the protected item. The protected item may include, among other things, a space, object and/or the like. The protective device includes a multitude of reactive protective elements arranged in a flexible support construction and oriented at an angle with respect to the direction of potential threats to the protected item. The flexible support construction is connected, with positive locking and/or friction locking and/or with substance-to-substance bond, to the support structure of the water craft. In this manner, many of the previously described problems are solved by a water craft having the features of claim 1. Other advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

The water craft has a conventional support structure and a space, object or the like to be protected within the outer shell of the support structure. In accordance with the invention, a protective device is provided between the outer shell and the space, object and/or the like to be protected. The protective device displays a multitude of reactive protective elements, arranged in a flexible support construction in such a way that they are oriented at an angle to the direction of the threat; and the support construction is connected to the support structure of the water craft with positive locking and/or friction locking and/or with substance-to-substance bond.

To protect a space, object or the like to be protected, the water craft is provided with a protective device which exhibits reactive protective elements with an angled arrangement with respect to the direction of the threat so that effective protection against threats posed by shaped charges is effected. This protective device is arranged between the outer shell of the support construction of the water craft and the space, object or the like to be protected, i.e. it is not visible within the water craft and from the outside. Therefore, the observer is not given any indication as to the position of the space, object or the like to be protected by the installation of the protective device.

In addition, the reactive protective elements of the protective device are arranged in a flexible support construction, and the support construction is connected to the support structure of the water craft with positive locking and/or friction locking and/or with substance-to-substance bond. In this way, the protective device is firmly connected to the support construction of the water craft, on the one hand; but on the other hand, due to its flexible support construction, it does not reinforce the support construction of the water craft. Since the support construction of water crafts is exposed to heavy loads from the rolling motion and agitation of the water and since it constantly performs vibrational, rotational and torsional movements, it has to be prevented that this support construction is reinforced by the installation of the protective device, thus creating the effect of a damaging stress concentration. Due to the flexible support construction of the protective device, a homogeneous stiffness distribution without stiffness jumps is created.

Since only a controlled, i.e. limited amount of explosives detonates thanks to the reactive protective elements during the activation by a shaped charge beam, which in turn is already triggered by the impact of the warhead on the outer shell of the support structure of the water craft, the water craft suffers only minor damage owing to the reactive protective device. Evidently those skilled in the art will choose suitable dimensions for the individual protective elements in accordance with the environment (strength of the outer wall, distance to the support construction and to other components).

In at least one embodiment of the disclosure, the flexible support construction exhibits a multitude of modules made from an elastic material (e.g., rubber), into which one or more reactive protective elements are incorporated, respectively. In this way, the reactive protective elements may be held in the support construction in the manner of a modular scheme. The flexible support construction contains flexible and torsionally soft connecting elements (e.g., rods, metal sheets, steel cables, cable spring elements, etc.), connecting the modules with the support structure of the water craft.

Based on the flexible support construction of the protective device, it may be designed or arranged in an advantageous way following the contour of the support structure of the water craft, and may also have a shockproof design and be attached to the support structure of the water craft.

In at least one embodiment of the disclosure, the support construction of the protective device is attached to the vertical frames of the outer shell of the support structure of the water craft.

In order to minimize, to an admissible degree, the damage or destruction of the outer shell of the water craft during the detonation of a reactive protective element of the protective device, the protective device is preferably arranged at a distance from the outer shell of the support structure of the water craft.

In a further embodiment of the disclosure, a further protective device to protect against threats posed by kinetic energy projectiles is provided between the protective device and the space, object or the like to be protected, in order to further increase the protective effect for the space, object or the like.

The above-described embodiments of the disclosure are advantageously suited to protect a sensitive subassembly to guarantee the operational reliability of the water craft, such as, for example, magazines with explosive materials (ammunition magazine, torpedo space), electronics, power supply, radar, command center or the like on a water craft, against the threat posed by shaped charges.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a watercraft with protection against shaped/hollow charges.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above features as well as further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more comprehensible based on the following description of various preferred and non-limiting embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a greatly simplified cross section of a water craft in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic perspective view of a portion of a protective device for the water craft in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic perspective view of a larger portion of a protective device for the water craft in FIG. 1 in further detail, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic perspective view of a protective device for the water craft in FIG. 1 in accordance with various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take at least the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The meanings identified below are not intended to limit the terms, but merely provide illustrative examples for use of the terms. The meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” may include reference to both the singular and the plural. Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The meaning of “in” may include “in” and “on.” The appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places in the specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, but it may.

In an effort to clarify comparative phrases used in the specification and the claims of this disclosure, please note that the following phrases take at least the meanings indicated and associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The phrase “A/B” means “A or B”. The phrase “A and/or B” means “(A), (B), or (A and B)”. The phrase “at least one of A, B and C” means “(A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C) or (A, B and C)”. The phrase “(A) B” means “(A B) or (B)”, that is “A” is optional.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the structure of a water craft, specifically that of a military water craft having an internally placed reactive protective device to protect against threats posed by shaped/hollow charges is shown, in greatly simplified form, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. Then, based on FIG. 2 to 4, the structure of such a protective device in accordance with at least one embodiment is explained in detail.

The water craft 10 includes, in a conventional manner, a support structure which comprises an outer shell 12, a bottom of the vessel 14, a deck 16, several intermediate decks 18 and several partition walls (not shown). Within the outer shell 12, there is a sensitive subassembly serving to ensure the operational reliability of the water craft, such as, e.g., magazines holding explosive materials (ammunition magazine, torpedo space), electronics, power supply, radar, command center or the like 20, as a space, object or the like to be protected. This sensitive subassembly 20 is conventionally provided with walls 21 made from armor steel in order to ensure a certain protection against threats posed by kinetic energy projectiles.

Between the outer shell 12 and the sensitive subassembly 20, there is an additional device 22 provided, which contains reactive protective elements against threats posed by shaped charges, as will be described in more detail below. As suggested in FIG. 1, these reactive protective elements are oriented at an angle with respect to the expected direction of the threat A (horizontal) to B (5° elevation). In this constellation, due to the direction of shelling B, the protective device 22 should extend higher than the sensitive subassembly 20, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

The distance of the protective device 22 from the support construction 12-18, from the sensitive subassembly 20 and from other components in the water craft 10 is suitably selected by those skilled in the art as a function of the design of the support structure and the detonating amount of explosives of the protective device 22. In this context, it has to be specially kept in mind that adjacent components (cables, pipes etc.) and the outer shell 12 of the water craft 10 are not too heavily damaged or destroyed so that the operational reliability of the water craft 10 may be preserved. It is possible to provide the protective device 22 with a buffer, for example, made of rubber, so that the required distances may be reduced.

The structure of at least one embodiment of a protective device 22 will now be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 2 to 4.

The protective device 22 includes a multitude of reactive protective elements 24, each incorporated in a module 26 made from an elastic material. Suitable reactive protective elements 24 are especially the protective elements of the so-called ERICA® system, as described in detail, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2006/0162539. But of course any other reactive protective elements may be used for the protective device 22 in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure.

The reactive protective elements 24 are included in the manner of a modular scheme in the elastic modules 26, which are arranged side by side. As for materials for the elastic modules 26, rubber, e.g., PE and the like are suitable materials. Depending on the desired amount of explosives and hence the size of the reactive protective elements 24, the modules 26 may, of course, also be made in any size and variable sizes.

Due to the incorporation of the reactive protective elements 24 in the elastic modules 26, a support structure with a homogeneous stiffness distribution is formed, with said support structure being flexible with respect to the support structure 12-18 of the water craft. Based on this flexible support construction, the attachment of the protective device 22 to the support structure 12-18 of the water craft 10 does not cause the latter to be reinforced so that its required elasticity or flexibility is preserved.

As is particularly clearly visible in FIG. 3, the individual modules 26, and hence the reactive protective elements 24, are oriented alternatingly in 45° angles in the vertical direction. This ensures that the reactive protective elements 24 are always oriented at an angle with respect to the expected direction of threat A, B in order to ensure their mode of operation and effectiveness. The angled arrangement of the modules 26 is achieved by metal flanges 28 which on the one hand do ensure the angled orientation of the modules, but on the other hand do not reinforce the protective device 22 overall.

To attach the protective device 22 to the support structure 12-18 of the water craft, for example at the vertical frames of the outer shell 12, there are vertical and/or horizontal connective elements 30, 32 provided, as shown in FIG. 4. These connecting elements 30, 32 are designed, for example, as metal rods, metal sheets, steel cables, cable spring elements and the like, which are sufficiently flexible and torsionally soft to prevent a reinforcement of the protective device 22 by these connecting elements 30, 32. These connecting elements 30, 32 serve to attach the modules 26 with the incorporated reactive protective elements 24 to the support structure of the water craft 10 with positive locking and/or friction locking and/or with substance-to-substance bond. The modules 26 or the reactive protective elements 24 are preferably oriented such that they face the side of the threat, i.e., the outer shell 12.

The modules 26, the flanges 28 and the connecting elements 30, 32 form the support construction 26-32 of the protective device 22, which in its totality is flexible vis-à-vis the support structure 12-18 of the water craft 10. The structure of this flexible support construction 26-32 also allows, in an advantageous way, a design and arrangement of the protective device 22 which follows the contour of the support structure 12-18 of the water craft 10 (especially the outer shell 12 of the water craft 10 never runs straight) as well as a shock-proof (vessel shock) design and attachment of the protective device 22.

The advantage of the protective device 22 specifically consists in its construction such that it has no impact on the support structure 12-18 of the water craft 10 so that the vibrational, rotational and torsional movements of the support structure 12-18 are not restricted. Due to the internally placed arrangement of the protective device 22, the position of the sensitive subassembly 20 to be protected is kept unrevealed. In addition, the modular structure of the above-mentioned protective device 22 makes a simple assembly and repair of the protective device 22 possible.

In order to increase the protective effect for the sensitive subassembly 20, it is possible to install a further protective device against threats posed by kinetic energy projectiles (not shown) between the protective device 22 and the space, object or the like 20 to be protected to supplement the reactive protective device 22 of the above-described design layout.

Although a complete description of specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art and others, that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown in the described drawings without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifested and intended that the disclosure be limited only by the claims and the equivalence thereof.

For example, the reactive protective elements 24 in the above embodiment are kept at an angle of 45° with respect to the vertical in the support construction 26-32 of the protective device. To implement the angle of the reactive protective elements 24 with respect to the direction of threat A, B, it is also possible in the alternative, as a function of the arrangement position, to arrange the reactive protective elements 24 straight in the protective device 22 and to orient the protective device 22 overall at an angle to the direction of the threat A, B.

Moreover, in the embodiments of FIG. 2 to 4, the protective device 22 is attached to the support structure 12-18 of the water craft 10 via connecting elements 30, 32 designed as torsionally soft and flexible rods. It is understood that other connecting elements can also be used for this purpose. For example, the modules 26 may be braced via steel cables and the like between two elements (e.g., floor and ceiling of a room) of the support structure 12-18. Likewise, the support of the protective device 22 on resilient cushion elements forming part of the flexible support construction is also conceivable. 

1. Water craft, comprising: a support structure configured to protect an item within an outer shell of the support structure; and a protective device between the outer shell and the protected item, the protective device having a multitude of reactive protective elements arranged in a flexible support construction and oriented to the direction of threat, the flexible support construction connected, with positive locking and/or friction locking and/or with substance-to-substance bond, to the support structure of the water craft.
 2. Water craft in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flexible support construction includes a multitude of modules made from an elastic material, each module configured to incorporate one or more reactive protective elements.
 3. Water craft in accordance with claim 2, wherein the flexible support construction exhibits flexible and torsionally soft connecting elements serving to connect the modules with the support structure of the water craft.
 4. Water craft in accordance with claim 1, wherein the protective device is designed or arranged in such a way that it follows the contour of the support structure of the water craft.
 5. Water craft in accordance with claim 1, wherein the protective device is designed in a shock-proof manner and attached to the support structure of the water craft.
 6. Water craft in accordance with claim 1, wherein the support construction of the protective device is attached to the vertical frames of the outer shell of the support structure of the water craft.
 7. Water craft in accordance with claim 6, wherein the protective device is arranged at a distance from the outer shell of the support structure of the water craft.
 8. Water craft in accordance with claim 1, wherein a further protective device to protect against threats posed by kinetic energy projectiles is provided between the protective device and the protected item.
 9. Water craft in accordance with claim 1, wherein the protected item is a sensitive subassembly serving to ensure the operational reliability of the water craft.
 10. The reactive protection system for watercraft in accordance with claim 1, wherein the protected item is a space, an object and/or the like.
 11. A protection system for a watercraft against shaped/hollow charges, comprising: a support structure configured to attach to the watercraft and to protect a space, an object and/or the like within an outer shell of the support structure; and a protective device between the outer shell and the space, object or the like to be protected, the protective device having a multitude of reactive protective elements arranged in a flexible support construction and oriented at an angle towards the direction of perceived potential threat, the flexible support construction connected, with positive locking and/or friction locking and/or with substance-to-substance bond, to the support structure of the water craft.
 12. The protection system for watercraft in accordance with claim 11, wherein the flexible support construction includes a multitude of modules made from an elastic material, each module configured to incorporate one or more reactive protective elements.
 13. The protection system for watercraft in accordance with claim 12, wherein the flexible support construction exhibits flexible and torsionally soft connecting elements serving to connect the modules with the support structure of the watercraft.
 14. The protection system for watercraft in accordance with claim 11, wherein the protective device is designed or arranged in such a way that it follows the contour of the support structure of the watercraft.
 15. The protection system for watercraft in accordance with claim 11, wherein the protective device is designed in a shock-proof manner and attached to the support structure of the watercraft.
 16. The protection system for watercraft in accordance with claim 11, wherein the support construction of the protective device is attached to the vertical frames of the outer shell of the support structure of the watercraft.
 17. The protection system for watercraft in accordance with claim 16, wherein the protective device is arranged at a distance from the outer shell of the support structure of the watercraft.
 18. The protection system for watercraft in accordance with claim 11, wherein a further protective device to protect against threats posed by kinetic energy projectiles is provided between the protective device and the space, object or the like to be protected.
 19. The protection system for watercraft in accordance with claim 11, wherein the space, object or the like to be protected is a sensitive subassembly serving to ensure the operational reliability of the watercraft. 